Equity

Health equity is about everyone in the community having the
necessary knowledge, skills and resources to achieve and maintain good health
and wellbeing. It is also about having the right services provided in the right
ways and in the right places to support health and wellbeing.Health equity is concerned with ensuring the social
determinants of health (see Determinants of health) do not act as barriers to individuals and communities improving their health
and wellbeing.

Health equity is achieved by removing unfair and avoidable
barriers that compromise health and wellbeing. The practice of health equity is
focused on supporting fair access, fair chances and fair resource distribution
to alleviate any disadvantage experienced by at-risk or vulnerable groups.

Health equity could exist but often does not. The goal of
health equity − for
communities, for service systems and for practitioners in their work − is to make sure no one
experiences poor health and wellbeing because of such unfair and avoidable
disadvantage.

There are significant reasons to reduce health inequities. Vulnerable, or
at-risk population groups may include people who are:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

socio-economically disadvantaged

living in rural or remote areas

living with a mental illness, physical or intellectual disability

living with the affects of experiencing abuse or neglect as a child

affected by discrimination, social exclusion, incarceration, and

from cultural or linguistically diverse backgrounds, particularly refugees and survivors of torture and trauma.

Research
shows these groups generally have increased health risks and are affected by
inequities because of their daily living conditions.

Research also consistently shows people living in poverty
receive less than a proportional share of public health funding relative to
those who are better off. Discrimination based on gender, sexuality, race and
ethnicity contribute significantly to inequities in health and in access to healthcare
services. For example, in Australia the social disadvantage experienced by
Indigenous people has contributed to the gap in health outcomes between Indigenous
and non-Indigenous Australians.

In
addition, men and women have vastly different health needs, so health service
providers need to consider gender when planning for service delivery. For
example, promoting a breast cancer screening service is more appropriate for a
female audience.

Health equity is not the same as health equality, but it looks and sounds similar so it is easy to get
confused. Health equality, or sameness, does not exist − we do not and cannot have exactly the same
experience of health and wellbeing. This is because we are subject to vast
individual differences, including biological factors such as genetics, sex and
age.

Health inequities are avoidable. They result from decisions
made by society such as policy or legislative measures on tax, welfare,
healthcare funding and the creation of supportive environments.

An equitable approach in health promotion will:

prioritise at-risk groups and those most in need and ensure access to services

focus health promotion initiatives on the social determinants of health

use community development and community building initiatives to strengthen all aspects of that community (see Community participation)

advocate to reduce social inequities to ensure every individual, family and community group may benefit from living, learning and working in a health-supporting environment